"It means we are making an immediate positive impact on the education of thousands of students by teaching and preparing the highest caliber of future physics teachers for classrooms across the nation."

Only 12 universities in the nation – including the University of Arkansas – are being
recognized this year by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) for graduating five or more well-prepared physics teachers in the past academic year.

Recent estimates by the organization indicate that less than half of all high school
physics courses are taught by a well-qualified teacher with a degree in physics. Universities
like the U of A that are striving to reverse this trend are being inducted into the
group's 5+ Club.

"Having our Physics Department recognized in this way is a huge accomplishment," said
Julio Gea-Banacloche, professor and Physics Department chair at the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. "It means we are making an immediate positive impact on the education of thousands
of students by teaching and preparing the highest caliber of future physics teachers
for classrooms across the nation."

According to PhysTEC, most universities graduate two or less qualified physics teachers
each year, so members of the 5+ Club are truly making a major impact on this problem.

"In fact, according to the AAPT, the most common number of qualified physics teachers
graduated by American institutions per year is zero," said Lin Oliver, associate professor
and vice chair of the Physics department. Oliver said he found this statistic particularly
startling and alarming.

Additionally, Oliver said being a part of PhysTEC's 5+ Club correlates strongly to
the U of A's UATeach and MAT programs, each of which combine a degree in science or mathematics with an
in-depth teacher preparation curriculum to help fill the shortage of Arkansas secondary
teachers in STEM subject areas.

"UATeach prepares the next generation of STEM instructors and our graduates earn their
teaching certification in math or science, along with their degree in Fulbright College,"
said Oliver, who also serves as a senior advisor for UATeach. "Being inducted into
a group like the 5+ Club validates our teacher preparation programs and our university's
commitment to preparing the best teachers for schools in Arkansas and beyond."

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences:The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with 19 departments and
43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum
for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former
university president and longtime U.S. senator.